Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

My wife is a member of the "Creative Home Arts Club", and received an offer to get an Amethyst ring through Holsted Jewlers, only having to pay shipping and handling ($6.99). She did so, and in the process of speaking to the telephone representative, was offered a continual membership to receive items on a monthly basis, paying for them after they will be received along with the ability to return any unwanted items for a full refund. She told the telephone representative three (3) times that she was not interested in that, only the ring. The ring was received, the charge showed up, and that was to be it.

Three weeks later, a charge of $46.98 showed up in our account for a set of earrings...neither desired nor ordered mind you. Upon calling the 1-800 number, she was told that she would have to return the earrings, then we would receive a refund for the transaction.

I called them and spoke with a rep first, then to her supervisor (who sounded like the exact same person). I was informed that it would be 7-10 business days to receive the refund and that it had already been processed. I told her that was not acceptable. I wanted the refund processed today because, after all, they can debit the same day, why can they not refund the same day? She told me that it was policy (the 7-10 bus. days), to which I replied that I wanted an exception to the policy and that I wanted to speak to her supervisor. She stated that she was the only supervisor on duty. I thought that this was a little odd that the second person I spoke with was the highest person working on a Monday at 1 pm EST (not a holiday either). The "supervisor" I spoke with stated that our account was closed and that we would not be receiving any further items from them.

After reading a few other people's issues with this company (Reference L.J.'s report #680536), I decided to contact my bank. The only way I can figure to avoid additional charges later on, we cancelled the debit card that was associated with that account, and had our bank issue us a new one.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

AUTHOR: Christine - ()

SUBMITTED: Thursday, March 20, 2014

POSTED: Thursday, March 20, 2014

Most companies will tell you that it takes 7-10 busines days to receive credit for refunds. Generally, and from past experience, it doesn't usually take that long. There have been a few instances when I've had to dispute a charge with my bank.

All in all it's not a big deal. Yes, I too have been charged for things I never ordered. I don't think there was a need to file a rip-off report. Just my opinion.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.